Sundry Villains
by Aini NuFire
Summary: When the Winchesters learn that Asmodeus has Castiel, they enlist Rowena's help to storm the demon's lair and rescue him.


**A/N: I want so badly for episode 12 to be the boys enlisting Rowena's help to break Cas and Lucifer out of Asmodeus's dungeon. But just in case that doesn't happen, I decided to write it myself.**

 **Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, this would be episode 12. But it probably won't be. Thanks to 29Pieces for beta reading.**

 **Also, this is my 100th fic to post on this site! That came fast, lol. Thanks for all the fun times, guys. I hope to keep writing many, many more. ^_^**

* * *

"Sundry Villains"

Getting back to the bunker after the harrowing experience in the 'Bad Place' should have been a relief for Dean. But really what it meant was he no longer had an excuse not to call Cas and tell him that they lost Jack to the Apocalypse world. He knew Cas would be upset—for good reason. And probably angry at Dean and Sam for barreling into something they had no clue about, for not waiting for him to come help. But it was _Mom_ ; they had to try.

Only, it had blown up in their faces. What else was new? And now Mom _and_ Jack were trapped in that bizarro universe. The only potential silver lining was that if Jack found a way to cross once, he just might be able to find his way back. Maybe even with Mom. The kid had been set on rescuing her, after all, as a gesture or offering to the Winchesters.

Dean sighed. Jack had just wanted to prove himself to his family, and Dean had taken advantage of it. It'd be on him if Jack got hurt, or worse, in that other world. Especially if the kid ran into Lucifer…

Squaring his shoulders, Dean finally worked up the nerve to call Cas. The line rang twice before picking up.

"Hello, Dean," Cas's gravelly voice answered.

"Hey. Uh, you don't have to keep looking for Jack."

"You found him?" Cas asked eagerly.

Dean grimaced. "Yeah, but…he said Mom was still alive in that Apocalypse world, so he found a way to open a portal there so we could go save her. But something went wrong, and me and Sam were trapped in this other dimension for a while…and Jack…he's in the Apocalypse world now." Dean braced himself for an eruption of ire. Though when it happened, it wasn't at all what he'd been expecting.

"You _fools_ ," a heavily accented voice spat.

Dean reeled back in stupefaction. What the hell…

"All those weeks fielding your insufferable calls," the man went on. "And you've gone and lost Jack to another dimension?" he seethed.

Dean could only sit there dumbly, trying to process what the hell was going on. Weeks of what? He could place the voice now, though, and with it came a chilling realization, because the last time he'd met this yellow-eyed demon, it had been impersonating Donatello. Which meant Asmodeus must have been pretending to be Cas…

"Where the hell is Cas?" Dean growled.

"Oh, I've been holding onto the feather duster," the Prince of Hell replied. "Thought he'd make good leverage if you happened to find Jack first. But seeing as how you _lost_ him…" Asmodeus took an audible breath. "There doesn't seem to be any need for me to keep your angel alive anymore."

Dean opened his mouth to curse out the demon, but the line clicked as it disconnected. He jerked the phone away from his ear and stared at the ended call screen until it went dark.

" _Sam_!"

His brother came hurrying into the library a moment later, eyes wide and alarmed. "What? What is it?"

Dean swallowed hard, fingers slack around his phone. "Asmodeus has Cas."

Sam quirked a bewildered look at him. "What?"

He finally dropped his cell onto the table with a clunk. "I called Cas to tell him about Jack, and it was Asmodeus. He- he was pretending to be Cas. For weeks, he said."

Sam continued to look confused for another second, but then his brows rose sharply. "Wait, are you saying that…all those times I talked to Cas…"

"Wasn't him," Dean finished, voice thick with horror and recrimination. How could they not have noticed? Their best friend had been in trouble and they'd had no friggin' clue.

Sam shook his head. "Okay, but why would Asmodeus give up the ruse now?"

Dean ran a hand over his hair. "He was pissed when he learned Jack was gone. Kid's beyond his reach now. And he said he doesn't need Cas anymore, so we need to find them right now." Before Asmodeus killed Cas… Sure, the angel had a string of resurrections on his resume, but there had to be a cap on how many per year, and Dean would be damned if he lost Cas again when they'd _just_ gotten him back.

Sam moved to the table and braced his palms on the edge. "Okay, Asmodeus has been using Cas's phone, right? So we trace it."

Dean snatched up his cell again and pulled up the tracking app. Why hadn't he thought of that? But nothing was broadcasting. His stomach clenched. "It's not working."

Sam came around to look, mouth turning down. "Maybe Asmodeus destroyed the phone, now that his cover's been blown."

"Or he's somewhere warded," Dean added.

Sam let out a frustrated sound. "Then we have no way of finding them. Jack might have been the only one powerful enough to help, but he's gone."

Dean chewed on an acidic thought. "Rowena."

Sam shot him an incredulous look. "Rowena?"

"Ketch said she was still alive, and we know she's got the mojo. Face it, we're gonna need someone with extra firepower if we're gonna go up against a Prince of Hell again."

"Ketch _thought_ she was alive; he didn't have proof," Sam argued. "And she's just as hard to find."

"There's gotta be something here," Dean grumbled, sweeping his gaze around the bookshelves. He could not keep losing his loved ones. He couldn't.

Sam's eyes wavered with similar emotion and fear. "Rowena spent some time here in the bunker. If I can find a hair, we might be able to work something."

Dean nodded. It was a thin plan, but the only one they had.

* * *

Castiel sat in his prison cell, head leaning back against the cold stone wall. There was nothing to pass the endless nights and days save for Lucifer's company, and that alone was just as tortuous. Sometimes demons would come by to mock them. Castiel couldn't be bothered by their pathetic jeers, but after the first several, Lucifer had snapped, leaping to his feet and threatening the 'insipid worms' with punishments and tortures Hell had never even dreamed of. They laughed, of course. Lucifer was hardly terrifying now that his grace had been depleted.

Castiel remained silent throughout it all, stoically enduring. He saw no release from this captivity, no chance of escape. Asmodeus was keeping him as leverage over the Winchesters, and that would only end in disaster. Castiel's heart ached to know that he would be the cause of yet more grief for Sam and Dean. He hoped they were okay. He hoped Jack was safe, that perhaps the young boy would choose to come home eventually. Sam had been doing a good job teaching him while Castiel had been…gone. Jack would be in good hands.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, a strong and determined gait as opposed to the demons who liked to slink. Castiel turned his head slightly as Asmodeus and a handful of attending demons passed his cell and came to a stop in front of Lucifer's.

"Asmodeus," the Devil drawled. "Come to give my throne back?"

"You're not worthy of it," the Prince of Hell responded. "I want to know how you passed between worlds. You were banished to an alternate universe, correct? One where the Apocalypse reigns supreme?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I want to access that world."

Lucifer snorted. "You know, normally I'd be happy to help throw your traitorous ass out of this universe. But considering there's someone over there who makes you look like Kentucky Fried Chicken, I'm gonna have to pass."

"Your son Jack is trapped over there."

Castiel jerked ramrod straight. _What?_ He surged to his feet and approached the bars of his cell, careful not to touch with the warding. Asmodeus flicked an uncaring look at him when he came into sight.

"That's right. The Winchesters lost him to that dimension. And since you only recently returned from it, then you know how to open a portal."

Lucifer let out a string of curses at Sam and Dean, followed by a spitting declaration that he would never let Asmodeus get his hands on his son. The Prince of Hell merely grinned smugly, and unlocked the door. With a flick of his hand, there was a thud and grunt from Lucifer, and the demons swarmed into the cell. When they emerged, Lucifer was bound with chains, and they dragged him down the passage. Asmodeus paused in front of Castiel, skewering him with a dark look, but then he continued on his way.

Castiel's head was reeling. How had this happened? And…Asmodeus had said Jack was trapped over there, but if he was blaming the Winchesters, did that mean Sam and Dean were still in this world? Castiel grabbed the bars of his cell, only to flinch away when the contact sizzled against his palms.

 _Dammit_.

He spun away in frustration. His family was in danger, and Castiel was utterly helpless to do anything to protect them. He sagged against the back wall and slid down to the ground, hanging his head in abject defeat and despair.

* * *

Sam found a Wiccan ritual for contacting a witch, and a couple of hours later, he and Dean were standing in a park at night, asking Rowena for her help locating Cas and then rescuing him from Asmodeus.

Rowena threw her head back and laughed. "You must be joking!"

"Why?" Dean snapped. "You took on Lucifer. Twice. You can take a Prince of Hell."

A villain to fight a villain. Sam wasn't even fazed by it anymore.

Rowena snorted disdainfully. "And I nearly paid for it with my life. Sorry, lads, but I draw the line."

"Arthur Ketch is looking for you," Dean said darkly. "We can help you with that."

She scoffed. "I'm doing a fine enough job evading him on my own, thank you."

"Is that what you thought right before the British Men of Letters captured you the first time?" Sam put in pointedly.

"Well, I heard you two took care of them on this side of the pond. There's not much left of their organization to be worried about."

"You know how dangerous and relentless Ketch is," Dean pressed. "Do you really want to take that chance?"

Rowena shifted her weight, looking discomfited. "And how exactly are you two buffoons supposed to help me, hm?"

Sam exchanged a look with his brother. He wasn't thrilled about this, but if it got Cas back, then it was what they had to do. Sam took a step toward the Impala parked behind them, and reached through the open window of the passenger seat to lift out a thick, ancient tome. Rowena's eyes widened.

"The Black Grimoire," Sam said, though it was clear she'd already recognized it. Rowena had wanted to get her hands on that book for a long time, and it was the only reason she'd helped them when the old family coven who'd owned it had cursed Dean into slowly losing his memory.

Rowena took a captivated step forward, but Sam held the book back.

"Use this to help us find Cas _and_ get him back," he said. "And then it's yours to use to stay ahead of Ketch."

"Or take him out," Dean added.

Sam's jaw ticked, but he didn't argue the point. They had bigger concerns.

Rowena eyed them both with simmering fury, but Sam could see how much she was itching to have the coveted grimoire.

After a few more tense moments, she lifted her chin. "Alright, then. We have a deal."

* * *

Castiel got to his feet when clomping footsteps echoed across the floor. He'd heard nothing since Lucifer had been taken away hours ago, and while he couldn't care less about the Devil likely being tortured, Castiel was worried about Asmodeus possibly finding a way to open up a portal between worlds, especially if Lucifer's warning about Michael had truth to it.

Three demons came to a stop in front of his cell, one carrying a set of sigiled manacles. Castiel held himself rigidly still as another unlocked the door and they filed inside. They'd grown cocky as they casually swaggered toward him. And though Castiel had little to no chance of escape, he was not just going to comply.

He struck out at the closest demon, delivering a sucker punch that sent the vermin's head snapping back. Castiel then swung a right hook at the second. The warding on the cell may have hampered his grace, but he was still a force to be reckoned with.

Until one of the demons got clever and wrapped the sigiled chain around its fist before punching Castiel in the side of the head. The sigils not only added strength to the blow but reverberated through Castiel's vessel as though his grace was transparent. He hit the floor, dazed, and a moment later, his arms had been wrenched forward and iron snapped around his wrists. Castiel struggled as he was bodily hefted to his feet, the demons snarling at him, and then he was forcibly dragged from the cell and through Crowley's old lair toward the throne room that Asmodeus had commandeered.

Castiel spotted Lucifer chained to a chair, beaten and bloodied as he slumped forward against the bonds keeping his arms tied behind his back. Asmodeus was standing before a table laid out with spell ingredients. His white suit was oddly unstained, given the blood splatter on the floor.

"Lucifer has been very helpful telling me how to access the Apocalypse world," the Prince of Hell began conversationally.

Though his eyes were half-lidded and chest heaving, Lucifer managed to lift his head enough to shoot the demon a seething glower.

Asmodeus picked up an angel blade from the table and twirled it. "The last ingredient is an angel's grace."

Castiel stiffened, his heart jumping into overdrive. The demons hemming his sides dug their fingers into his arms, practically oozing sadistic anticipation. He glanced at Lucifer, his mind quickly putting the pieces together—how Lucifer had miraculously returned from that other world, how he would know about a spell to do it…and how his grace was currently weakened.

Castiel whipped his gaze back to Asmodeus. "It took the power of a nephilim to open a portal between our worlds the first time. The nephilim from an archangel. Which means only an archangel's grace would be powerful enough to make that spell work."

Asmodeus lifted his brows, then turned a thoughtful moue toward Lucifer.

The Devil tried to make a scoffing sound, though it ended with a rattling cough. "Like he would know," Lucifer wheezed.

"You are looking a little peaky," Asmodeus remarked. "And that would make sense, wouldn't it?" He tapped the point of the angel blade against his chin as he seemed to consider the situation.

"Well," he finally said. "Since your grace does seem to be so weak right now, I'll just have to use a combination of two angels' graces."

* * *

Dean roved a calculating gaze over the abandoned insane asylum. "You sure this is the place?"

"Yes," Rowena replied stiffly. "This was Fergus's lair."

Dean snorted. Figured Evil Colonel Sanders would have taken it over with Crowley gone. His chest tightened with worry, but the fact that Rowena had been able to locate Cas here had to mean he was still alive. But for how much longer?

He and Sam drew their guns loaded with devil's trap bullets and their angel blades, while Rowena had a small satchel containing some hex bags and potion vials next to the Black Grimoire slung across one shoulder. There was nothing for it.

They started forward, striding right up to the front door and barging inside. Two demons were standing guard, but Dean and Sam quickly dealt with them, firing shots first to incapacitate and then following up with swift stabs through the heart. Bodies dropped to the floor before the customary skeletal orange light had even finished flashing through them. More demons came careening around the corner at the noise, and Rowena tossed a hex bag, followed by a shouted spell, and they all exploded into a shower of incinerated embers.

Between the three of them, they mowed down any and all demons that tried to stand in their way, following Rowena's lead toward the center of the lair. When they came to a large chamber decked out like a medieval throne room, they pulled up short, because Asmodeus was there, the only demon left, but he had a handcuffed Cas in front of him like a shield, an angel blade up under Cas's jaw. Cas's expression was steely, despite his position, while Asmodeus was gaping at them in shock and outrage.

"Let him go," Dean warned, gun aimed though he wouldn't dare shoot with Cas in the line of fire. He didn't want to test what bullets with devil's traps on them would do to an angel.

The demon's eyes swirled yellow as he sneered at them. "Or what? Your little weapons aren't enough to kill me."

"No, but I bet she is." He cocked his head toward Rowena.

Asmodeus narrowed his gaze, and then he barked out a laugh. "A witch? Don't insult me." He pressed the blade up higher, forcing Cas's head back. Dean went rigid, the image of blinding light and exploding grace flashing through his mind's eye.

"The thing is, boys," Asmodeus drawled. "Turns out I need the angel after all."

A gurgling cough from the side jolted Dean; he hadn't realized there was someone else in the room. "Don't just stand there, stop him!"

Dean's eyes widened in horror. What the… _how_? Sam shot him an equally stupefied look, and even Rowena balked for a brief moment. But it was clear that Lucifer wasn't currently a threat, not chained up and bloody. And why the hell was the Devil urging them to save Cas?

Asmodeus's lip curved upward at Lucifer. "I'll give your regards to Jack when I find him."

Dean was so thrown that he couldn't keep up with what was happening, but in the next second, before Asmodeus could do whatever it sounded like he was planning, Cas suddenly kicked out at the table in front of him. It flipped over, scattering what looked like spell ingredients across the floor. Cas thrust his cuffed hands up between himself and the angel blade, catching the weapon on the iron chains and trying to force it away from his neck. Asmodeus snarled, and he jerked the blade away—only to plunge it into Cas's side instead.

"No!" Dean shouted.

Cas twisted out of Asmodeus's grip and fell, and Dean squeezed the trigger of his gun in rapid succession, peppering Asmodeus with bullets that tore through his white jacket but did nothing to the demon's meatsuit.

Asmodeus's eyes flared yellow with rage, and he took a step toward them.

"Rowena!" Sam yelled.

She stepped forward between them and raised a palm outward. Magic prickled on the air as purple squiggles spurted from her fingertips. " _Abi_!"

There was an explosion of light and a concussive whomp, and Asmodeus was flung into some kind of vortex that immediately closed with a pop. Dean gawked at the empty space for a split second before he ran to Cas and dropped to his knees on the floor. Cas already had his hands on the hilt of the blade in his side, and yanked it out with a garbled cry.

"Shit," Dean muttered as Cas thunked his head on the stone floor, eyes squeezed shut. Blue light was fizzling in the wound, which was also oozing blood. Dean stowed his weapons so his hands were free, and bunched up the bottom of the trench coat to press it against Cas's side, eliciting another strangled sound from the angel's throat.

"Easy, easy," Dean said shakily, pushing even harder to staunch the blood flow because angels couldn't just heal injuries dealt by an angel blade. He started abruptly when he remembered the manacles around Cas's wrists. They were sigiled, which meant they'd prevent his grace from helping at all. "Sam, I need a key."

"How did you find me?" Cas gritted out.

"We had a little help," Dean replied, and looked up as none other than Rowena handed him a key to the shackles.

"Yeah, about that," Lucifer spoke up. "Does no one I kill _stay_ dead!"

"How are you even back?" Sam spluttered.

"Long story," Lucifer wheezed. "Right now we need to get out of here before old Asmodeus comes back. I assume Red sent him to the bottom of the ocean like she did me."

"Maybe you'd like to go next," Rowena rejoined, sounding more confident than her fidgety body language belied.

Dean finished getting the iron cuffs off Cas, and then started pulling the angel up off the floor. Cas choked back a groan and stumbled to his feet.

"Sam," Dean called, snapping his brother out of his stupor at Lucifer being there. Sam hurried over to help support Cas's other side.

Lucifer rattled his chains. "Uh, aren't you two forgetting something?"

"Nope," Dean replied, starting toward the exit.

"Guys! You have to take me with you."

"Not a chance in hell," Dean growled. "I don't know how you're back, but it looks like Asmodeus has you on a leash, so you're staying right here."

"Asmodeus wants to use my grace to open a portal to that other world," Lucifer pressed. "Which would be _very_ bad. Remember Michael? Well, his counterpart is insane. And he wants to hop on over here and play Apocalypse 2.0. I think we can all agree that's a threat to everyone."

Dean exchanged a look with Sam. Great. They'd already beaten the Michael from their own world; why did they now have to deal with _another_ one?

"And why would you care about that?" Dean retorted.

"I've been over there, okay? I've seen how psychotic big brother is. Worse than my version who's been locked in the Cage. You think I want him coming over here?" Lucifer's face scrunched up in a scowl. "And by the way, how did you two idiots lose my son to that universe?"

Dean's expression hardened. "Sam, let's go."

"Wait, wait!" Lucifer doubled over with a ragged cough and gasped, "Michael has your mother."

Dean stiffened, remembering the vision Jack had shown them of Mom. So it was Michael who had done that to her… That didn't change anything, though. And Jack _was_ over there right now, working to save her. They didn't need Lucifer.

Except…Lucifer said Asmodeus would use his grace to open a portal? Which meant they could do the same…create a way for Jack and Mom to get back…

Dean and Sam shared a wavering look.

"Cas, is he telling the truth?" Sam asked quietly.

Cas's breathing was labored, but he managed to answer faintly, "I don't know. I haven't been able to figure out his game if he is lying. But…he is at low power for now."

Dean's jaw tightened. He didn't like it…but on the small chance that what Lucifer said was true, if Michael really was planning to invade their reality—and Asmodeus wanted to open that door simply to get to Jack—yeah, they'd be screwed.

"Fine," Dean muttered. He couldn't believe they were going to have to work with Lucifer _again_. But, the enemy of my enemy and all that.

Sam swallowed nervously, and slipped out from holding Cas. Dean adjusted his hold to take most of the angel's weight as his brother retrieved the key and went to unlock Lucifer's chains. Dean turned to ask Rowena if she had a way of binding the Devil even more…but she was gone. Figured. She always did have a knack for slipping away. Dean didn't really care, though; she'd kept her end of the deal.

Sam slung one of Lucifer's arms over his shoulder and started to half carry, half drag the Devil toward the exit.

"My hero again, huh, Sam?" Lucifer smirked.

A muscle in Sam's jaw ticked, but he didn't respond, and the four of them finally made their hasty retreat.

* * *

With two very wounded passengers, there was no way they could make the drive all the way back to the bunker, so they stopped at a motel in the next town over. Sam took Lucifer into the second room they rented and handcuffed him to the bed. Lucifer had protested, of course, saying his grace was weakened enough as it was without the Enochian sigils further preventing any healing. Sam told him to suck it up. He then turned on the television at a moderate volume to help cover any noise Lucifer might decide to make, and went next door. Just because Lucifer needed their help, and vice versa, didn't mean they trusted him, or that Sam wanted to be in the same room with him, even depowered. And he was worried about Cas.

The angel was laid out on one of the beds, his shirt unbuttoned and layers pushed aside to give Dean access to the stab wound in his abdomen. Even from the door, Sam could see slivers of blue still shining through.

"You're gonna be okay, right?" he asked, coming over. Seeing Cas get stabbed had flashed him back to the lake house, and Sam's heart had nearly stopped in that moment.

Cas flicked a look up at him. "I'll be fine." His brows pinched. "Should Lucifer be left alone?"

"He's in the Enochian handcuffs," Sam replied. "With the shape he's in, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Cas looked doubtful, but was distracted when Dean wiped a cloth over his wound, and he hissed in pain.

Sam went around the other side of the bed to the nightstand where Dean had already set out the first aid supplies, and proceeded to pass his brother the antiseptic.

"How the hell did you end up with Lucifer and Asmodeus?" Dean asked, sounding harsh, though Sam knew it came from a place of love and fear.

Cas leaned back against the headboard and sighed. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You got nabbed at the bar, didn't you?" Dean pressed. "I knew something sounded wrong."

Cas gave him an apologetic look. "Yes. I was with Lucifer there. He was trying to convince me that we needed to work together to stop Michael. I intended to talk to you two first, but then Asmodeus showed up. He was after Lucifer, but I was apparently a bonus." Cas shook his head. "I barely had a chance to fight back."

"Yeah, well, Prince of Hell," Dean muttered as he taped a patch of gauze over Cas's stomach.

Sam worked his jaw. "Cas, I'm so sorry I didn't realize it wasn't you I was talking to on the phone all this time."

Cas quirked a brow at him. "That's hardly your fault, Sam. Asmodeus's ability to impersonate people is quite convincing."

"Still," Sam said thickly. "He had you for weeks and we had no idea." A lump settled in his throat as he roved a scrutinizing gaze over his friend. Aside from the fresh stab wound, his clothes weren't torn and bloody, so maybe he at least hadn't been tortured…

Cas's expression softened. "I was left alone for most of that time," he said as though he could read Sam's thoughts. "At least until Asmodeus found out Jack was gone." Cas's eyes crinkled with worry. "I was hoping he'd received misinformation, but…Jack really is in that other universe?"

Sam nodded grimly. "Yeah. He found out Mom was still alive, and he wanted to help bring her back." Sam's heart constricted. "He wanted to prove to us that he was good. And we got so caught up with wanting to save Mom that we rushed into things." He threw a surreptitious glance at Dean. They'd done a few things Sam regretted.

Cas's shoulders sagged. "I understand. She's your mother." He shook his head. "But if what Lucifer says about Michael is true, then Jack is in grave danger over there."

"We'll figure it out," Sam promised. He'd contributed to making a mess of things; he was gonna do everything he could to fix it. Even if that meant working with the most hated and feared villain in the history of mankind currently recuperating next door.

"That's right," Dean chimed in. "But no more splitting up," he added adamantly. "And no more you going off to do things on your own, because then shit like this happens."

Cas ducked his gaze sheepishly. "Alright."

Dean nodded firmly and stood up. "Get some rest. We'll start back to the bunker after I get the trunk warded for archangel cargo."

Cas squinted at him. "You're going to put Lucifer in the trunk for nine hours?"

"You don't want to share the backseat with him, do you?"

Cas blinked, but then his expression soured. "No. Being in the next cell for several weeks was bad enough."

Dean snorted. "Thought so. I got your back, man."

Cas gave him a soft smile. "I know. Thank you."

Sam smiled too, because they'd _gotten_ Cas back, and that was the win Sam needed this time around. Because Dean wouldn't be the only one broken if they lost the angel again. And yeah, Mom and Jack were still in trouble, but Dean was right that sticking together was the way they were going to get through this.

They were always better together.


End file.
